The Department of Health and Social Care has made “no specific assessment” of the impact of LloydsPharmacy closures on affected areas, pharmacy minister Neil O’Brien has said.

Mr O’Brien, the parliamentary under-secretary for health and social care, was responding to a written question from Labour MP for Hull West and Hessle Emma Hardy, who asked if the DHSC “has made assessment of the implication for its policies of LloydsPharmacy’s plan to sell pharmacy branches and contracts they hold across the UK”. 

Ms Hardy’s question followed the news last month that LloydsPharmacy had shut all its Sainsbury’s branches, raising concerns around the potential impact on patient access and increased workload for remaining pharmacies in affected areas.

The multiple is also selling a significant number of its high street branches, with Boots announcing in recent weeks that it is too plans to close 300 branches in “close proximity” to other Boots stores.  

“No specific assessment has been made,” Mr O’Brien replied, adding: “There are mechanisms in place through local authority Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments (PNAs) to identify where there is a need for additional pharmaceutical services in an area.”

PNAs are carried out by local health and wellbeing boards once every three years and provide a snapshot of local pharmaceutical services, including any unmet needs in the community.

Mr O’Brien said: “The Department continues to closely monitor patient access to NHS pharmaceutical services across England.

“Access remains good, with 80 per cent of people living within 20 minutes walking of a pharmacy and twice as many pharmacies in the more deprived areas.” 

Speaking to Pharmacy Network News, Pharmacists’ Defence Association director Paul Day said: “The question is who is assessing the impact on the public? Ministers, NHS England, Integrated Care Boards, the General Pharmaceutical Council?” 

He added: “On top of this, many pharmacies are reducing their hours [after laws were passed to relax the rules for 100-hour pharmacies] and this will also have an impact on patient access. 

“We should be trying to make sure the service is maintained or improved – not declining.” 

PNN approached NHSE for clarification of its role in monitoring pharmacy closures but did not receive a response.